After scathing grand jury report, what's next for Broward Schools?

February 21, 2011|By Megan O'Matz, Sun Sentinel

Broward County is abuzz over a statewide grand jury report blasting the School Board for "gross mismanagement and apparent ineptitude." The grand jurors suspected the board had been corrupted by "contractors, vendors and their lobbyists." If it were legally possible, the jurors said, they would move to fire the entire board.

The full report, issued last Friday, can be read online at http://www.SunSentinel.com/grandjuryreport.

The grand jury's obvious disgust for the district leadership raises many questions about what the future holds for the school system and its officials. The School Board meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday and may address some of those issues. Answers to some questions, however, are already emerging.

The grand jury lamented that, under the state constitution, it could not abolish the whole School Board. What might be done to remove one or more members of the board?

Not much. State law allows voters to recall county commissioners but not School Board members. Under the state constitution, Gov. Rick Scott can suspend School Board members and other elected officials for "malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, or commission of a felony." It's unclear what, if anything, Scott will do after the grand jury report. A spokesman for the governor could not be reached despite a call and an e-mail from the Sun Sentinel on Monday.

Broward voters will not have another chance to vote on the School Board's composition until 2012, when four of the nine seats are up for grabs.

The board has four newly elected members and five holdovers from the period the grand jury examined. Might any of the five — Jennifer Gottlieb, Robin Bartleman, Ben Williams, Maureen Dinnen or Ann Murray — resign as a result of the grand jury's fierce critique?

A. "Heck no … I am not stepping down," Murray told the Sun Sentinel on Monday. "I have a lot of good things left to accomplish." The other four could not be reached by the newspaper.

Grand jurors said Superintendent Jim Notter "bears responsibility" for allowing the board to improperly meddle in day-to day operations, including "interfering with personnel decisions, directing contracts to friends and acquaintances for consulting work [and] pushing unnecessary building projects." Will Notter stay or go?

That decision depends on Notter, who could resign, or on the board, which has the power to terminate him. Firing Notter would be costly because he is under contract. If fired without cause, Notter would be entitled to up to six months' salary, or about $150,000, as well as any accrued vacation and sick days. What's more, if Notter resigns or is let go without cause, his contract calls for the board to appoint him to another administrative position in the district for three years at a salary at least equal to a top high school principal, which a union official said is about $115,000.

Board member Dave Thomas, who was elected in November, told the Sun Sentinel on Monday he expects that his colleagues will at some point vote on whether they still have confidence in the superintendent. Thomas said Notter must show he can fire employees who foul up, and "if not, I'm going to look to fire him."

Notter's cell phone was not accepting messages Monday. But he released a statement over the weekend saying the district has already initiated some reforms and will "continue to take actions to restore public trust in our educational system."

Six pages of the 51-page grand jury report focus on the "Beachside Boondoggle." What is that?

The panel found that the Beachside Montessori School in Hollywood is "a microcosm of everything that is wrong with the board and district." The grand jurors said the board "engaged in underhanded tactics" to build the $25 million school in an area where nearby schools had plenty of empty seats while schools in the western part of the county remained overcrowded. The report says Beachside was one board member's pet project. That official is unidentified, but it is known that Gottlieb was the school's strongest champion.

If things are so bad at Broward Schools, why didn't the grand jury issue indictments for suspected crimes?

The grand jury was set up to indict people only for actions stretching across more than one county.

Could arrests be coming at a future date? Who would make them?

Prosecutors at the Broward State Attorney's Office are reviewing the report and would have the power to pursue criminal charges.

Will the public be able to know who testified before the grand jury?

No. The names of people who testify remain secret. The grand jurors reported that they talked to Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators; school district project managers, Facilities Department managers and building inspectors; current and former School Board members; district budget and finance officials; deputy superintendents; principals and secretaries. The Broward Teachers Union also released a statement thanking its members for testifying.

The report is extremely troubling. How do I vent my concerns, orshow my support for School Board members or Superintendent Notter?

The board meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the KCW Administration Building, 600 SE Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale, for a regularly scheduled workshop session. But the board does not usually accept public input or comments during workshops. To speak you'll need to wait for the board's next regular meeting on March 1.